Ogun University students protest reduction of school fees

Student leader calls governor a “pathological liar.”

Some students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago- Iwoye, Ogun State, on Thursday marched on the Ogun State Government House in Oke-mosan, Abeokuta, to protest what they described as a “tactical and jamboree deduction of increased school fees”.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered from the protesting students that Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s “jamboree” reduction of the university’s tuition fee was from about N192, 000 to about N176,000.

However, the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Segun Odubela had while announcing the reduction on Tuesday said medical students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, OOU,, who are currently paying N301,610 will henceforth pay N176,596 from next session, representing a 41.4 per cent reduction.

Mr. Odubela said students of the Faculty of Arts in the same university will be paying N81,112 instead of the current fee of N126,540, a 35.9 per cent reduction.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on phone, Falola Ahmed, the leader of the Ogun State chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Student, NANS, described Mr. Amosun as “a pathological liar” who wanted to use the “tactical deduction” to score cheap political goals.

“The governor has been making political statements about the fees he reduced, but this is a jamboree reduction, it is a tactical deduction. If he must reduce the tuition fee, he must reduce it to the minimum affordable to the people of Ogun State,” Mr. Ahmed said.

“As we speak, over 1,000 students of OOU are presently on their way to Oke Mosan to protest. We want Ibukunle Amosun to be sincere and stop media lies. He should fix the laboratories in the school.”

He alleged that the governor had organised an opposing group, composed of students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, MAPOLY, who would visit the Government House by 1 p.m. for a “thank you visit.” He also claimed that the governor paid the MAPOLY students N500 each.

“The clashes will start between the aggrieved and the hired,” he stated.

Another student leader, who gave his name as Success, said the students were revolting following a directive that the reduction in school fees would be implemented next session.

“The school fees have been reduced by mere talk and not implementation. The implementation is billed for next session. We want it implemented now because it is a political gimmick,” Success said.